Gay Rights 2.0

And, of course, it takes politicians willing to be that voice from within the establishment. "People want instant political gratification," says Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the openly gay chair of the House Financial Services Committee. "Unfortunately, there's a kind of a rule here: if you're in a tough political fight against entrenched opposition, the better a tactic makes you feel, the less likely it is to have done you any good. Getting out and cheering, holding each other's hands, talking about how wonderful we are and how terrible they are--that's therapy, it's not politics."

In reality, a little of both might be needed. The protests organized by Join the Impact certainly inspired a turnout. But to succeed, veterans say they need a clear agenda. "To be an activist requires constant vigilance, you can't just send e-mails," says Kramer, who was also a co-founder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis.

At the New York rally, coordinated by a group of twentysomethings who had never organized before, an estimated 10,000 people showed up. But energy was low, the sound system was shoddy and the speakers seemed uninspired. There looked to be as many camera phones documenting the event as there were picket signs. As Greg Varnum, the 25-year-old head of the National Youth Advocacy Coalition puts it, "I worry that if organizations don't offer up some kind of direction, this energy will be fleeting."

The young women of Join the Impact, meanwhile, are doing everything they can to keep the momentum. They've dubbed Wednesday "A Day Without Gays," calling for an economic boycott to emphasize the $700 billion that gays and lesbians are estimated to contribute to the U.S. economy each year.  And they've had conversations with the HRC, about how the two entities can work together. "If you look at the history of our movement, what you see is that there's a role for everybody," says the HRC's Solmonese. Frank's advice is to continue pushing for marriage on the state level while working simultaneously on federal efforts for a hate crimes bill, ENDA (which Obama has said he would support), and ultimately, an end to Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

As for Signorile, only time will convince him whether the current energy can be mustered into something with lasting impact. "It's really going to take sustained meetings and an agenda and goals," he says. In the meantime, the 48-year-old veteran activist will be updating the progress on his Facebook page.

© 2008